Previously a surface mine and reclaimed according to the standards of the Department of Mining and Industries, 540 acres of land owned by Tumalo Irrigation District must be rezoned as it is no longer operates as a surface mine. The Tumalo Irrigation District began discussing the rezoning process with Deschutes County in September 2015 with the intention to ask for rezoning to an MUA-10 (multiuse agricultural 10 acre parcels).

Tumalo Irrigation District’s goal is to identify options for the property that best serve the District’s mission and financial obligations to provide irrigation water to our patrons. It’s fiscal duty as holders-in-trust of the property is to maximize the value to the District. In view of the current issues related to maintaining the safety of those using the 540-acre parcel for recreational purposes, we view the rezoning process as an opportunity to create a beneficial asset for Tumalo residents.

TID will keep patrons informed as the rezoning process continues. In the meantime, more information is available below:

Ongoing Issues

Tumalo Reservoir has a long and complicated history that continues to be debated today. For example, questions were recently raised and presented to Deschutes County about maintenance of Tumalo Reservoir and the use of silt from it to bed pipelines, a practice TID has been doing for more than 80 years. Subsequently, in May, Deschutes County found that it is against a new interpretation of county code for TID to maintain Tumalo Reservoir or use the silt from the reservoir along the canals (where it came from in the first place) to bed pipes without first obtaining a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for mining from Deschutes County. Deschutes County has also declared Tumalo Reservoir a wetland.